Covington-Pruett, Chavers-Chavers in tight race after Day 1 of Mobile Boat Show bass tournament (photo gallery)

Chris Pruett, left, and Rick Covington hold the largest four of their five-fish limit that weighed 12.84 pounds on Day 1 of the Fish'n Fever Trail Mobile Boat Show bass Tournament on Friday at the Mobile Convention Center. Pruett and Covington hold a slim lead over the father-and-son team of Rick Chavers and Josh Chavers. (Bill Starling/bstarling@al.com)

MOBILE, Alabama - Bad weather forecast for Friday never materialized and teams competing in the Fish'n Fever Trail Mobile Boat Show tournament overcame the impacts of flooding to weigh in impressive stringers of Mobile-Tensaw Delta bass.

Leading the pack after the first day were Rick Covington and Chris Pruett with a five-fish limit weighing 12.84 pounds. They hold a slim lead over the father-and-son team of Rick Chavers and Josh Chavers, who came in with 12.81 pounds.

Members of both teams were tight-lipped about how they caught their fish, though they admitted to fishing shallow-water bays near the Mobile Bay Causeway.

Pruett said plastic baits and spinnerbaits produced "a bunch of fish" for them all day long.

"We were culling by 7 a.m.," Pruett said, adding that he expects that bite to hold up on Saturday.

Team Chavers "threw a little bit of everything," Mike Chavers said.

Mike Chavers said the team's initial plan was to run to a tidal river across Mobile Bay, but changed their minds because of weather forecasts Friday night.

"We went to one of my banks where I've caught them in the past and we started catching them pretty quickly," he said. "We made a bait change and started putting bigger fish in the boat."

Josh Chavers estimated the team caught 30 fish.

Mike Chavers said the team will likely head back to the same area, but that they needed some cloud cover in order for their fish to bite.

Rounding out the top six teams after the first day were Trip Brannan and Joey Spiers (11.57), Robert Freeman and Chad Freeman (11.50), Leland Huey and Randy McCaine (10.93) and Mike Swoboda and Matt Lemon (10.33).

Swoboda's and Lemon's five-fish sack was anchored by a 3.67-pound largemouth bass that earned Day 1 lunker honors.

"For the water and weather conditions, it was really a phenomenal day," Miller said. "It usually takes 22 to 24 pounds to win a two-day February tournament and we're right in line with that even with horrendous conditions.

"Guys have really spread out a lot and I think it's obvious that some of the fish came from south of Interstate 10. It shows the diversity of the Delta and the fact that we have access to excellent brackish rivers south of I-10."